Circle of Contempt, ‘Concealed’ — Song Stream

It's very possible Finland's Circle of Contempt have, until now, passed under your radar because, well, they're from Finland. However, if everything goes according to plan, that will soon change. The band has an album on the way from Sumerian Records and just finished their first ever tour with Winds of Plague, Stick to Your Guns, Sleeping Giant and Oceano. And let's just tell you, having talked to the progressive metalcore band's guitarist Risto-Matti Toivonen, they love America.

"We love America and Canada," Risto tells Noisecreep enthusiastically from a Denny's somewhere in Middle America, where he's waiting for his cranberry pecan salad. "I think America is awesome. I like California. There's lots of fast foods. New Jersey sucked for us. We only sold one CD. That's it. We went to New York to the Empire State Building. It was pretty cool. There was zero visibility, so it kind of sucked. I love Taco Bell and Chipotle. We don't have Chipotle in Finland. It sucks."

Listen to 'Concealed'

As you'll hear from 'Concealed,' a track from the band's Sumerian debut 'Artifacts in Motion' (in stores now), the dudes in Circle of Contempt are severe in sound. They fancy themselves progressive, which the music is. At times, they're epic and there are even melodic elements to their otherwise brutal sound. But see, in Finland, where black metal is the norm, Circle of Contempt wouldn't be considered 'brutal.' Hence, Risto insists the band isn't all that heavy.

Later this month, Circle of Contempt will be back on the road for their second tour. This one won't be as intimidating for Risto, he says, and boasts an impressive lineup, including Veil of Maya, Animals as Leaders and Periphery. Alas, the guys are all just 20 years old, which makes drinking -- something of a CoC pastime -- tough in the U.S. They also hope to land a festival slot this summer, in which case, they'll really have to work on their English.

"We have to learn more before we can hit on American girls," Risto says.